Wire line stuffing box



Aug. 12, 1952 G, FQRD 2,606,746

WIRE LINE STUFFING BOX Filed May 26, 1948 j! ZIEQL 59 29 2/ Z 45 l a 26 /7 IN V EN TOR.

I -10\\ Z7 5950/9554 F090,

tion to be I maintained Patented Aug. 12, 1952 V l lvGeorge San Fernando,.Trinidad, British West Indies, assignor to United States Steel ;Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application May 26,1948, Serial N6.29,20v

This invention relates to wire line stuffing, boxes forusein-well drilling equipment. Ofte n there is need during the drilling of a well to insert various instruments 1 into the drill hole,

such as instruments that indicate the angleby which the hole is inclinedlfrom thevertical. In usual previous practiceswith which I am familiar, it has beennecessary to stop mud circulation through the drill hole and detach the grief stem and swivel from the drill instruments into the hole.. The-instrument is then dropped by gravity through the mud filled drill pipe. This practice has disadvantages that the-operation is cumbersome and timexconsurningand circulation of mud through drill hole is interrupted-for a considerable period, which is unsafe-in somewells.

An objector the present invention is to provide improved mechanism which, in conjunction with properly designed rotary swivels, enables instruments to be inserted into drill holes'without disconnecting the swivel and grief stem from the drill pipeor interrupting mud circulation for. any significant length of time. i

'A further object of the invention is to provide improved-mechanisms which, in conjunction with properly designed swivels, enable mud circulawhile'an instrument is lowered into a drill hole, the instrument being carried into the hole on a descending mud stream. further object oflth invention is .to provide wireline'stuffing boxes for installation on swivels of {the type which have a through longitudinal passage, whereby instruments may be lowered on a wire that passes through the stuffing box and swivel. without disturbing connections to the drill pipe beneath the swivel.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details .of structure, a preferred form of whichis shown in th accompanying drawing wherein: 6

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a rotary swivel having installed thereon a wire line stuning box embodying features of the present invention; 1 FFigure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on line IL-II of Figure l; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the stuffing box.

The stufilng box of the present invention is especially suited for use in conjunction with swivels of the type described and claimed in application Serial No. 4,567, filed January 27, 1948, by August R. Meier and assigned to the assignee of the present application, now Patent No.

pipe before inserting "4. clai s. (01. 255-25) for engagement 2 2,537,683. Therefore, for convenience I shall de-- scrib the stufiing box as employed on a swivel of such design. However, it is apparent that the stufling box may be used in conjunction with swivels of other designs which have a through passage, and I do not wish use of the stuffing box to be limited to any specific design of swivel.

The swivel illustrated comprises a housing 10, and a tubular body l2 rotatablyisupported in said housing on main bearings l3 and auxiliary bearings l4. Thewvalls of saidlhousing have=integral trunnionsiw aboutwhich a .baillfi is pivotally mounted! The lower end of body 12 supports the drill string-and the swivel issuspended from assuitable hookftha't engages bail'lfi; Thismuch of .the structure is typical of rotary swivels and hence a more detailed description is deemed unnecessary. .7 v i In'accordance with the invention described and claimed in the aforesaid Maier application, the housing cap and goose neck are formed as an integral piece. Said integral piece comprises a base l1,a pair of risers l8 upstanding from opposite edges of said base, a vertical bearing sleeve 19 carried by said risers-and spaced above said base, a tubular goose neck-20 integral'withga side wall'of said bearing sleeve and an integral web 21- connecting the lower portion of said goose neck 'and'said' base." Base l11is"i1xed jto housing lllby any suitable means'such as bolts 22. Wash pipe 24 is removably coupledto the upper end of body 12 to rotate therewith and is rotatably received in packing rings 25, which are stationary in sleeve l9; f

The'wash' pipe and packing rings are p'reas-' sembled as a unit, together with a cage 26." The coupling which joins the wash pipe andbody is accessible in the'space between base I! and bears ingsleevelfl. I a The end ofbearing sleeve I 9 above goose neck 20 is open for axial insertion and removallof the wash pipe; assembly. without disturbingthe goose neck. A removable closure 21= normally covers this opening. Said closur has a central opening 28 for receiving the stuffing box of the present invention. When the stufiing boxis not used, as duringnormal drilling operations, opening 28 is closed by a suitable plug. It is seen that the swivel has a continuous longitudinal passage which may be closed either by the plug or the stufdng box.

The stufiing box of the present invention comprises a nipple 29 which has external threads 30 with opening 28 in the swivel closure. Said nipple has a central constriction into which is fitted a bushing 3| and packing 32. A gland 33 is threaded into the upper end of nipple 29 and compresses packing 32 against bushing 3|. The gland, packing and bushing thus provide a passage that communicates with the swivel passage.

An integral bearing'housing and sheavesupport 34' is rotatably mounted on the exterior of nipple 29, preferably being carried on antifriction bearings 35 and 36. Preferably upper and lower grease retaining rings 37 and 38 are fixed in the top and bottom of the bearing housing.

The sheave support comprises. upstanding. arms 1 39 on which a sheave 50 is rotatably mounted The upward extension of the center-line ofthe passage through the gland and bushing is tangential with the inner circumferential edge of the sheave. Y

Wire 4| preferably piano wire, is threaded over sheave 40 and through gland 33, packing32 and bushing 3|. Said wire may support any typeof instrument which it is desired to lower into the drill hole.

For inserting an instrument into the drill hole, wire 4| is first threaded through the stufling box in the manner just escribed and the instrument attached thereto. Circulation'of'mudisstopped briefly and the plug is removed from opening 28. The instrument is inserted, into the swivel passage through aid opening, which is then closed by attaching the stufiing box thereto. .Circulation ofmud is then resumed; The descending stream of; mud carries the instrument, intotheadrillhole andthe desired information is obtained Without further-interrupting the mud circulation. When the instrument has served its purpose, itmay be withdrawn by drawing up wire 4| .over. sheave 40 by any suitable, means, after which the stuifing box and instrument are removed and the. plug replaced.

It is seen that mud circulation is interrupted only during the brief intervals required to' interchange the plug and stuffing box on the swivel.

There is no need to disconnect the swivel and grief stem from the drill pipe, thus greatly simplifying the operation. Therefore, by the present invention I have economically and efiiciently overcome the principal disadvantages previously encountered in inserting instruments into-drill holes; a

While I have shown and described but a single embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore I do not wish to be limited by the disclosure set forth, but only by the scope of' the, appended claims. 1.

I 'cla-im:

'1. In combination with a rotary'drillin-g swivel having a longitudinal passage and an opening in the top furnishing access to said passage, a stufiing box closing said opening, a sheave, and means rotatably mounting said sheave on said stufling box, said stuffing box including a tubular nipple afiixed in the swivel opening, a tubular bushing afiixedin' the lower portion of the-bore of said nipple, packing in the boreof said nipple supported on said bushing, and a gland received in the upper portion of the boreofsaid' nipple and com-pressing said packing, said gland, packing and bushing providing a passage through said nipple, the upward extension of whose center line received intheupper portion of the bore of said nipple and compressing said packing, a bearing housing rotatably supported on the exterior of said nipple, a sheave, and means on said bearing housing rotatably mounting said sheave, said gland, packing and bushing providing a passage through saidnipple, the upward extension of whose center line is tangential: with saidsheave, said last named passage communicating with said swivel passage for insertion-of; aninstrument supporting wire. L, p

3. A wire line stuffing bQxcompr-ising a tubular nipple adapted to .be' affixed in a swivel, a tubular bushing afiixed in the lower portion of thebore'of said nipple, packing supported onsaid bushing, a gland afiixed in the upper portion of the; bore, of; said nipple and compressing, said packing; a bearing housing rotatably; supported on the exterior of saidv nipple, asheave, and means on;said bearing housing rotatab'ly 'mounting said-sheave, said gland, packing, andbush: ing pro'viding-a passage through said nipple, the upward extension of the center line of said pas sage being tangential with said sheave. I H

4'. A wire line stuihng box comprising a tubular nipple; adapted to be fixed in a swivel, a tubular bushing. aflixed in the lower portion of; the boreot said nipple,,packing supported on said bushing, a. gland affixed in theupper portienof the bore of said nipple, and compressing said packing,, a bearing housing,-, antifriction bearings' rotatably supporting said bearing: housing aroundithezexter'ior of said nipple; arms upstanding from. said; bearing; housing, and a sheave/ro tat'ably supported onlsaid arms, said gland, pack' ing and bushing. providing apassage through saidnipple, the upward extension of the center line ofvsaid passage beingv tangential with sa-idsheaye.

GEORGE. A.- FORD;

REFERENCES- CITED- I The following references are of record in the file of this patent: J 1 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS I Eate- Number Name v 1,499,024 Miller June 24, 1924 2,082,010. Lane etal. June; 1-, 1937 2,098,518- Pivoto Nov. 9, 1 937 2,104,270 Owsley Jan. 4, 1033 2,164,606 Bozeman July 4, 1939 2,176,323 Bowen et al. Get; 17-, 1939 C0llett, Jr. May 12, 1942 

